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Tai Chi Chuan is actually a form of martial arts. While it looks very slow and graceful, which it is, every movement is for a purpose and either in defense or attack. There are several styles. Typically, you will learn a basic 24 form - 24 movements. There are competitive forms that include the use of weapons.

My son was trained with various weapons, and also in shao lin. Tai chi was part of his training as the "soft" form, for the meditative and balance aspects that develop self control. His movements are so perfectly balanced and controlled that he was beautiful to watch.

I also studied it for a couple of years before I got seriously into running, and have been in and out of tai chi classes (unfortunately). My sifu (master), who studied with Madame Wang, a world master, has an incredible assistant who taught us the common and popular form, "Yang Style," and our movements were almost excruciatingly slow (that sure builds your balance and concentration!).

I now practice a form of running called ]]>ChiRunning]]> that combines principles of tai chi with running form and was developed by an elite runner, Danny Dreyer, with the help of his instructor, a world tai chi master. This running form helps keep you injury free and uses gravity to pull you forward, rather than your stride to propel you. It's quite remarkable.

As a child growing up, and later an adult on my way to work, I remember seeing groups of elderly Chinese assembled in the early morning in a park in San Francisco where they would practice tai chi. Some would have swords or sticks as they practiced advanced forms. It looked like a sort of group dance, it was so graceful, and mesmerizing.

It's a bit hard on the knees, but my sifu suggested taking glucosamine chondroitin to help keep my knees flexible, and it has also greatly helped with all the impact from running (I'm a marathoner).

With the summer olympics to be held in Beijing this year, I'm not entirely sure if tai chi will be included in Olympic competition; but, there are certainly tai chi festivals there.

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I have heard about how great Tai Chi is as an exercise, and I have to admit....I didn't "get it" when I tried it.

I could understand Tai Chi as a mental conditioning tool, much like meditation or other relaxation exercise, because I was constantly having to tell myself to "pay attention" as my mind wandered. I assume many beginners have this same boredom problem with Tai Chi, just as someone who was bored with yoga after thinking that typical exercise means sweating it out on a treadmill for 45 minutes.

Can you explain how Tai Chi helps physically improve your body, for those of us who don't "get it"?!

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